


Can't Lose You

by a1_kitkat



Series: Fictober 2020 [18]
Category: Roswell New Mexico (TV 2019)
Genre: Bunkers, Established Relationship, Flint Manes Being an Asshole, M/M, M/M/M, Polyamory, Trapped, running out of time, stealth attack, trapped in a bunker
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-18
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-09 05:35:17
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,215
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27079696
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a1_kitkat/pseuds/a1_kitkat
Summary: Flint wants revenge on Max and ambushes Alex at the cabin, when he discovers Alex is there alone, he makes sure his brother can't warn Max of his plans.PROMPT USED - TRAPPED/RUNNING OUT OF TIME
Relationships: Alex Manes/Max Evans/Kyle Valenti
Series: Fictober 2020 [18]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1947391
Comments: 14
Kudos: 21





	Can't Lose You

“You’re not listening to me!” Alex insisted.

“No, you’re not listening to me!” Kyle shouted back.

They’d been arguing for almost fifteen minutes straight, just angry yelling back and forth. Max reached up and rubbed the bridge of his nose but knew better than to try and intervene.

“I don’t have time for this anymore,” Kyle yelled as he grabbed his jacket and pulled it on. “I have to go to work but we’ll talk about this later.”

“Can’t wait,” Alex snarked, sarcastically as the front door slammed shut behind him.

Alex threw himself down on the couch, practically crushing Max beneath him but Max simply reached out and brushed his fingers through Alex’s hair in a soothing gesture. He watched as Alex closed his eyes, some of the tension slowly seeping from his body. Max placed his other hand over his own heart.

“I really wish you two wouldn’t fight so much,” Max said to him.

“We wouldn’t be if he’d just be reasonable!” Alex mumbled.

Max sighed.

“Don’t do that,” he whispered before leaning down to kiss his forehead. “Don’t put me in the middle.”

“You _like_ being in the middle.”

“Not of your fights… This is between the two of you, nothing to do with me.”

“What ever happened to democracy?”

“Alex, you know I love you both but I’m not taking sides on this one. You need to sort it for yourselves.”

Alex pouted. He hated when Max refused to take his side so he climbed from his lap and got to his feet.

“Now you’re leaving too?” Max asked him.

“I’m angry and I need some time to think,” he felt his pockets for his keys. 

“Alex, don’t be like this.”

“I just need some space.”

“Can’t you wait until morning before taking off?”

They shared a look. Of course Max knew when Alex said he ‘needed time to think’ it meant he was heading to the cabin.

“It’s getting late and it’s a long drive,” he added. 

“I’ll be fine,” Alex assured him. He moved back towards Max, leaned down and kissed him. “Just, do me a favor and not tell Kyle where I’ve gone?”

“What did I say about putting me in the middle?”

“Just don’t bring it up, okay?”

He kissed Max again before turning and sweeping out of his place. Alex stopped by his house to pack an overnight bag then he was on the road out of town without a second thought.

***

It was well after dark when he arrived at the cabin. Everything was exactly how they’d left it which was familiar and comforting. He made himself a warm drink with the dregs that were in the cupboard then settled in front of the fire to think.

Being here didn’t change anything. He sat on the couch, staring at the solid coffee table that covered the trapdoor to the underground bunker. Ever since he’d learned it was down there, he’d wanted to be rid of it. Had planned to search it more thoroughly for more possible hidden alien artifacts before destroying the bed and everything else down there but other more pressing things had taken priority and now that he actually had the time to do it, Kyle was trying to stop him.

He kicked the table in frustration but that just hurt his foot. Alex got up, moved it aside and opened the trapdoor. It’s very existence was creepy enough. He grabbed his phone and turned the flashlight on so he could climb down the ladder.

Once down there, he turned the lamp on and examined the tiny symbol, the one that had pointed him to the piece of the alien console. He hadn’t patched up the wall he’d destroyed yet but his plan was to destroy the entire bunker so that didn’t matter.

He heard a noise from above and froze. Had Max blabbed? Did Kyle follow, knowing Alex didn’t want him here? He sighed. He wasn’t in the mood for another fight with Kyle.

Alex grasped the ladder and climbed free of the bunker but the moment he reached the top, the entire bunker was plunged into darkness. He felt a pair of arms grab him and instinctively fought back only to be thrown to the floor, his arms twisted behind his back. Alex tried to kick his assailant but accidentally kicked the couch instead.

His hands were zip tied behind his back and he was suddenly yanked to his feet. A flashlight was pointed at his face, blinding him.

“It’s not _him_ ,” a voice growled.

“There’s no one else here,” another hissed.

“Are you here alone?” A third voice asked him.

Alex clamped his mouth shut. It wasn’t him they were after which meant they were going to try to make him reveal someone else’s location. One solid punch was enough to make him see stars. A second then a third had him spitting blood from his mouth.

He wasn’t stupid, he was outnumbered and tied up but he clearly had something they wanted.

“Where is he?” One of the voices asked him.

“I’m here alone.” Alex stated.

“Where is the alien?”

“What alien?”

A fourth punch followed by a kick to his stomach knocked the wind out of him.

“He’s not coming,” 

Alex’s blood turned cold as he recognized the voice of his brother, Flint. He didn’t show his hand though.

“We came too soon, I told you we should’ve waited,” Flint hissed. “Until we were sure he was here.”

“You said he would be!”

“Is this really the time for it?”

It was _almost_ funny and Alex had to stop himself from laughing but their incompetence didn’t change the fact they’d come here looking for Max.

“If you really thought sneaking in here in the dark was going to be all it took…” Alex taunted.

The backhanded slap from his brother was harder than he expected.

“Shut up!” Flint hissed. He turned to the others. “The alien isn’t here and likely won’t be anytime soon. Let’s just get out of here.”

Alex waited, unsure what they were going to do with him. If they were after Max, he was a liability. They wouldn’t want that. He heard the click of a gun and someone, Flint? cried ‘no!’

“Don’t shoot him, or it’ll be obvious,” Flint hissed.

He felt a pair of arms grab him, shoving him forcibly. Maybe they were going to kidnap him? Offer him in a trade for Max to hand himself over? The ground vanished beneath him and he tumbled down into the bunker, landing with a loud thud and a snap that was likely his arm.

“Flint?” Alex cried out. “Flint? Don’t do this! Please, don’t hurt Max! Don’t hurt any of them!”

But his brother didn’t reply. The only response he got was the sound of the trapdoor closing followed by the scrape of the table being put back in place. Alex swallowed nervously. 

No one knew he was here, that he was down here. He didn’t know how much air was even in here. He was trapped; Max was in danger and he was helpless to protect him.

***

Kyle hadn’t meant to storm off in a huff but Alex was being unreasonable. Yes, his father had left the cabin to Alex so it was technically his to do what he pleased but was it asking too much for him to respect Kyle’s feelings?

He was still in a mood when he got to the hospital for the night shift and began his rounds. Work kept him busy so it was almost midnight by the time he had a moment to himself. He sneaked into the locker room and grabbed his phone. No missed calls, voicemails or texts from Alex. 

Kyle sighed; he wasn’t exactly surprised since they could both be stubborn as fuck. He knew it drove Max up the wall when they bickered and put him in the middle… as much as it frustrated both of them when Max refused to take either of their sides.

His finger hovered over the call button, he sighed again then dialled Alex’s number but it immediately went to voicemail. That wasn’t like him which meant he must be really mad. Kyle called Max, who was likely still at work himself, but didn’t leave a message.

He couldn’t leave the hospital and he couldn’t reach Alex either. They’d promised to never go to bed angry but technically Kyle wasn’t heading to bed anytime soon and Alex had always been a night owl.

He was certain that come morning, when he knocked off work and headed home for sleep, Alex would be waiting for him so they could kiss and make up… But morning was a long time away. He just hoped he’d make it that long.

***

The lamp was still on in the corner so Alex wasn’t in complete darkness but his prosthetic was damaged, probably beyond repair and his hands were still tied behind his back. He’d luckily, or was that unluckily, landed on the prosthetic then his elbow. His entire body ached as he stared up at the now sealed trap door.

It would be days before anyone thought to look for him. Max was the only one who even knew he was here and if Flint and the others got to him… he didn’t want to think about that.

His brother had stopped them from outright killing him but in doing so, he’d condemned Alex to being buried alive. The bunker was likely airtight which meant he didn’t have many hours of oxygen.

Should Flint take Max out or even just kidnap him, by the time Kyle realizes anything is amiss… Alex would be dead.

He tried to at least sit up but every inch of his body ached. He could taste blood in his mouth and spat it out, all over his clothes which were already ruined. Alex wriggled into a sitting position and yelped at the pain in his arm. It would take some time but maybe he could get his hands free.

***

Kyle was out of the hospital just before five am so he called Alex but his phone still went immediately to voicemail. He drove to his place, expecting to find Alex asleep in his bed but no, the bed remained unslept in. He was exhausted but he trudged back to his car and drove out to Max’s place.

He unlocked the door and went inside where he found Max alone in his own bed. Kyle kicked off his shoes and crawled into his bed, snuggled up close next to Max who instinctively wrapped his arm around Kyle.

“Long night?” He asked.

“Longest,” Kyle replied.

“Is Alex still mad?”

“Uh,”

“He’s not here and he wasn’t at mine… So, he’s still mad, yeah?”

Max sighed but didn’t open his eyes.

“He said not to tell you that he needed to think,” Max sleepily said.

“So, he went to the cabin, huh?”

“Yeah.”

“You agree with me though, he’s being totally unreasonable,”

“Kyle, I’m _tired_ just go to sleep.”

“I can’t… Not until I talk to Alex,”

Kyle crawled over Max to grab his phone from the nightstand. He punched in Max’s passcode and unlocked the phone, called Alex and frowned when it still went to voicemail.

“I just keep getting his voicemail,” Kyle stated as he tried to keep the worry from his tone… but he couldn’t hide it from Max.

“You know reception up there is spotty at best,” Max replied. He plucked his phone from Kyle, glanced at the time and groaned before tossing the phone back on the nightstand.

“Just go to sleep,” Max insisted. “Come on, you’re exhausted, I’m tired, sleep is _good_.”

Kyle sighed and pouted but reluctantly lay down with Max who immediately fell back asleep but Kyle couldn’t settle. He was worried, they never let an argument just lie like this before. He tossed and turned for half an hour until he gave up and padded into the bathroom for a sleeping tablet. Kyle took half of one and crawled back into Max’s arms, still thinking about Alex as he slowly nodded off.

***

It had taken much longer than expected and he’d basically had to dislocate his shoulder in the process but Alex had managed to manoeuvre his hands from behind his back to his front then had slowly half-crawled, half-dragged himself across the floor to the cupboard. He’d searched for anything at all that could break the zip tie but there wasn’t so much as a knife or a pair of scissors or anything. Clearly Jim hadn’t wanted to have anything that could be used as a weapon down here.

He closed his eyes and took several slow, deep breaths. He’d freed his phone from his pocket but it had smashed in the fall… not that he’d get a signal down here anyway.

Alex leaned back against the wall, too tired to attempt reaching the bed. His eyes closed, head pounding, leg aching, his thoughts wandered to the fight he’d had with Kyle over this very bunker.

Now that he knew how easy it was to get locked in here, he was even more determined to cement the trapdoor sealed and never set foot in here again.

He thought of Kyle, his eyes and his cheekbones. His bravery and his secret sensitivity. How nervous he’d been the first time they’d kissed… Alex himself had cried the first time Kyle told him he loved him.

His heart fluttered as his thoughts turned to Max with his puppy dog gaze and floppy hair. His willingness to lay down his life to protect the ones he loved, in particular Alex and Kyle.

Sometimes, Alex would waken in the middle of the night and find himself cocooned in both their arms, like they were terrified they’d wake up to find him gone… But Alex had sworn to himself and both of the men he loved that he wasn’t going anywhere.

He thought of Max’s hands on his skin, Kyle’s lips on his neck and his eyes filled with tears. His undamaged hand moved to his chest, to the handprint beneath his shirt and he blinked his tears back. At least they’d have each other to grieve with after he was dead.

Alex shook his head to clear that dark thought but he couldn’t help it. He was trapped down here with no obvious way of escape and no likely rescue party coming to save him. His one hope was that his brother would screw up and not hurt Max or Kyle because he had no way of warning them.

He pressed his hand against the silver handprint and thought of Max, of Kyle, of their love as he slowly sank to the floor and lay down, drifting off to sleep.

***

Max’s eyes flew open, his heart racing as he looked around in surprise. Kyle was fast asleep in the bed next to him but Alex wasn’t. It didn’t feel right, he didn’t feel complete without both his loves by his side. He lay back down, trying to remember the dream that had woken him but his mind was blank.

He threw back the blanket and headed to the kitchen where he grabbed the phone and called Alex’s cell phone. It immediately went to voicemail. He wasn’t worried, didn’t have any reason to be until…

Something came hurling through the window. He leapt out of the way and into the hall as a smoke bomb burst. Max ducked into the bedroom and slammed the door shut.

“Kyle!” He shouted. “Kyle, wake up!”

He jumped onto the bed, placed his hand to Kyle’s chest and sent a quick shock through him to wake him up.

“Fuck!” Kyle hissed. “I told you _not_ to do that to me!”

“Someone’s in the house,” Max said.

The bedroom door burst open, smoke billowing into the room. Max threw himself at the intruder while Kyle rolled off the bed and crawled under it, searching for what he needed.

He saw multiple sets of feet coming into the room. One person went down, then another as Max shot bursts of energy into them but his defence was draining on him.

Kyle scrambled out and plunged the taser against one man’s neck. He knew they were outnumbered so Kyle opened the window, planning to jump out and found himself face to face with Flint Manes.

He threw himself over the window sill and landed one punch on the soldier who didn’t even flinch.

“This doesn’t involve you, Valenti,” Flint said to him. “We just want the alien.”

“Well you can’t have him!” Kyle shouted.

He jammed the taser into Flint’s neck as another soldier kicked him. Kyle dropped the taser as he was shoved aside. He had no idea how many of them were still inside with Max. Where was super sexy soldier Alex when they needed him?

“Back off, Kyle,” Flint said. “We don’t have to hurt you.”

“What the hell do you want with Max anyway?”

“He’s an _alien_ , Kyle, and he’s a threat.”

“He’s hardly-”

“Are you forgetting he tried to kill me?”

Flint opened his shirt to reveal a faded mark upon his chest where Max had lost control and almost ended the man’s life.

Kyle heard gunfire and his heart stopped.

“No!” Flint screamed. “We need him _alive_!”

This was followed by a loud noise then immediate silence. Kyle elbowed Flint and scrambled around the outside of the house. Smoke was still pouring out the front door and tears began to sting Kyle’s eyes as the outline of a person appeared in the doorway, coughing and spluttering.

Max collapsed on the porch as Flint and the other soldier watched in shock. There had to have been at least six others in the house, what had Max done to them?

Kyle threw himself at Max and they both looked at Flint, who genuinely appeared scared. He looked to his fellow soldier who was still staring at Max. A moment later, most of the vans they’d arrive in burst into flames. The soldier grabbed Flint’s arm and began tugging, urging him to run away.

“This isn’t over, Max!” Flint declared. “Your kind is the enemy and you proved that here today!”

“Walk away, Flint, live another day, find a different fight!” 

Flint laughed. 

“Live another day? Like those men you just killed in there?” He asked.

“Hey,” the soldier hissed at Flint. “Come _on_ , we have to get out of here before…”

“You killed my men, guess that makes us even, huh?”

The soldier tried once more to pull Flint away and this time he reluctantly went along. They both ran to the one remaining van and jumped in.

Kyle turned to Max, checking him over only to have him push Kyle aside to vomit over the edge of the porch.

“Max? Are you okay?” Kyle asked him. “What happened? Did you _really_ kill all those men?”

“No; I don’t know what happened… I think they’re okay,” Max coughed.

The smoke was easing now so Kyle made his way back inside, knelt down next to one of the bodies and felt for a pulse. He sighed with relief and moved to the neck, checking each of them. He was genuinely relieved and surprised that Max hadn’t killed them.

He headed back to Max’s side and passed him a bottle of acetone. Max downed most of the contents in one go.

“Is Flint really on a crusade to get you?” Kyle asked.

“I tried to kill him and he’s spent his life being brainwashed by his father into thinking I’m the enemy, a threat to be eliminated.”

“Are you okay to travel?”

“Travel? And leave these unconscious bodies in my house?”

“Max, Flint just attacked us. We need to get to Alex now!”

“Kyle-”

“I won’t stop being stressed until I’m holding both of you in my arms so get in the damn car right now!”

***

The room was spinning or maybe he just thought it was. The light from the lamp seemed bright yet dull and was making his eyes hurt. He considered crawling over and turning it off but the lamp was the only other thing in the room; he could hear the gentle hum of the electricity or was he imagining that too?

He opened his eyes and there was Kyle, looking around the bunker, insisting he wanted it left alone. On the bed he could see Max, hiding behind a book and trying to avoid being dragged into their argument.

Alex watched as Max put the book aside and reached for Kyle’s hand. He pulled Kyle onto the bed and kissed him before they both turned to him. They each extended a hand to him, wanting him to join them. He tried to crawl towards them but he couldn’t move and neither of them made a move to help him; they simply turned to each other and resumed their intimate kisses while Alex clawed at the ground, trying to get closer but not physically moving forward.

He tried to get up and cried out at the pain coursing through him. When he looked back at the bed, both Kyle and Max had vanished. His father was now standing before him, a bullet hole in his chest, blood seeping from the wound.

“You were never man enough to be a _real_ Manes man.” He father said to him

Alex squeezed his eyes shut, not wanting to see or hear his father but he was still there, in his mind, taunting him. He couldn’t make it stop, couldn’t make it go away.

He curled in on himself, kept his eyes closed, cradled his injured arm to his chest as he quietly sobbed. He hated himself for giving in so easily but he was trapped and he needed to accept the reality that he wasn’t going to make it out of here alive. 

His fingers curled around his broken phone. The screen was cracked, there was no signal and his battery was nearly dead. The image of the lock screen was barely visible through the cracks and his blurred vision but he could see Max and Kyle and himself, hugging each other close while grinning at the camera. 

He was tired, so tired. A nap would do him the world of good and the last thing he saw as his eyes drooped closed was Max and Kyle’s smiling faces.

***

Max called Isobel from the car and told her what had happened; he explained he was getting out of town for a few days and she promised to grab Michael and head over to Max’s place to make sure the unconscious bodies had woken and left.

Alex’s car was parked out the front of the cabin. Max and Kyle both climbed out of the vehicle and headed inside. The front door wasn’t locked which wasn’t unusual out here but was strange given that Alex was alone. Max sank down on the couch while Kyle wandered through the cabin, calling for Alex.

“Do you think he went for a walk?” Max asked him. 

“Maybe, you said he wanted to think and the fresh air always helps him. I’m gonna check outside.”

Kyle left and Max’s eyes fell on the coffee mug sitting upon the fireplace. He got up and grabbed it, to take it into the kitchen. There was a thin layer of dry coffee in the bottom that appeared to have been there for hours. That wasn’t like Alex.

He moved towards the kitchen and his foot accidentally bumped the coffee table. Max paused; it was crooked. Alex had been talking about the bunker, arguing about it with Kyle so it wasn’t crazy to assume he’d been down there. Max leaned down to fix it, to move the table back into place when he froze.

Blood on the floor. That wasn’t a good sign. He shouted for Kyle as he reached up to his heart, trying to feel his connection to Alex but he knew there was a chance the hand print had faded by now. It must’ve because he couldn’t feel Alex anymore.

“Kyle?” He called as he got to his feet and headed to the door. “Kyle?”

“He’s not answering, Max!” Kyle sounded as scared as Max felt.

He came hurrying back into the cabin, saw how ghostly white Max’s face was, and slipped an arm around him before he could collapse. Kyle had been trained not to panic, he was a doctor and in normal circumstances he knew what to do but Max looked awful and there was no sign of Alex.

“Blood,” Max coughed as Kyle helped him to the couch. “On the floor.”

Max pointed and Kyle turned, his heart dropped into his stomach. Kyle grabbed the solid coffee table and shoved it aside. His hands were shaking as he opened the trapdoor and peered down the ladder.

“Oh God!” He cried.

“What?” Max coughed as he slid off the couch and over to the trapdoor but Kyle was already climbing down the ladder.

*

Kyle jumped down the last four rungs, his eyes never once leaving the prosthetic on the floor. His feet touched the ground and his heart lurched as he ran to Alex’s unmoving body. He dropped to the floor, carefully rolled him onto his back and began to feel for a pulse.

“Alex?” Max’s voice shook as he fell to his knees opposite Kyle.

Alex’s face was pale and covered in blood. It was a sight neither of them would ever be able to forget.

“I’ve got a pulse,” Kyle’s eyes were filled with tears. “It’s weak but there.”

“Kyle.” Max said.

“I don’t think an ambulance will make it in time.”

“Kyle.”

“His arm is broken and I think his rib is, too. Oh God, he could be bleeding internally and moving him could make it _worse_.”

Max reached over, cupped Kyle’s face in both hands and looked into his tear-filled eyes.

“Kyle!” Max barked. “I can heal him.”

“Max? You’re practically at death's door yourself!”

“If I do nothing, he won’t make it.”

“And if it kills you in the process? Again? Max, you can’t-”

“Kyle, I can’t not try,”

“What if it doesn’t work? I can’t lose both of you!”

“And I can’t lose _either_ of you. You have to let me try. We can’t lose him, Kyle.”

Tears were streaming down his cheeks as he slowly nodded his consent. All Max had to do was wake Alex enough for them to get him the correct medical attention.

Kyle moved and took Alex’s hand in his, reached down to stroke his cheek. Max shifted and placed his hand underneath Alex’s shirt, right over his heart. A place his hand had touched many times before. He looked at Kyle who was staring down at Alex then he closed his eyes and focused on opening a connection between them.

He could _feel_ all of Alex’s injuries at once and they overwhelmed him in his weakened state. He needed to focus on the most prominent and began concentrating all his energy on healing him.

His leg, his elbow, his fingers, they were superficial and could be healed later. He found the injuries he _could_ fix, the ones that were causing him to slip further and further away. Max focused, pushing his own pain away to do all he could for his love.

Max felt Alex’s body begin to react and he broke the connection. As Alex gasped awake and was enveloped in Kyle’s embrace, Max collapsed, vomiting on the floor.

“Max?” Kyle called as he hugged Alex. “Alex? Are you okay? Are you alright?”

“Kyle?” Alex whispered. “You’re here, you came!”

“I’m here, Max is here; you’re okay,” Kyle assured him.

Alex tried to sit up but winced in pain as his hand reached for Max.

“Max?” He coughed. “Max? Kyle?”

“We’re here,” Max replied as he wiped the traces of vomit from his mouth. He moved to Alex’s side. “Are you okay?”

“It was Flint; he’ll be after you next, Max.” Alex said.

“He tried; we got away and he ran away,” Kyle replied. “Come here,”

Kyle slipped his arms underneath Alex’s body and scooped him up. He carried him the few steps to the bed and placed him upon the mattress. He turned to help Max but he’d already crawled over to join them. 

Max climbed onto the bed beside Alex and carefully wrapped his arms around him, pressed a kiss to his forehead. Kyle’s heart was still pounding as he looked at his two loves on the bed. 

“It’s okay, Kyle, we’re okay,” Max assured him as tears spilled down Kyle’s cheeks.

“I can’t lose either of you,” Kyle whispered. “I just _can’t_.”

“You’re here, you came,” Alex said, extending his non-injured hand to Kyle. “You save me,” he looked at Max. “You both did.”

“We’ll always come for you, Alex,” Max said. “No matter what.”

“I wish you could’ve saved the prosthetic, too,” Alex said as he looked over at the broken pieces. “They’re expensive.”

Kyle dropped onto the bed and wrapped his arms around both of them. 

“It’s replaceable… you’re not!” Kyle stated. “Both of you are irreplaceable in my heart.”

“You’re such a softie,” Alex teased but Kyle just hugged him tighter. 

“I swear, I will never fight with you ever again and you can’t come here on your own where we can’t protect you!” Kyle cried but Alex chuckled as he returned Kyle’s embrace _and_ pulled Max closer.

“Now which one of my heroes is gonna carry me out of here?”

*

Kyle’s hands were still shaking as he stood in the kitchen, pouring scotch into three separate glasses. Both Alex and Max were settled in the bedroom, resting. He needed to collect himself before joining them.

He carried the three glasses in his hands and kicked the door open. Alex and Max both smiled warmly at him as he handed them a glass each.

Max was still weak, having insisted on healing Alex’s other injuries but he looked much better. Kyle handed him the glass that had acetone mixed in with it. Alex’s face was still bruised but he was breathing normally, just couldn’t get around well without his prosthetic or a crutch.

They each sipped from their glasses.

“You can do whatever you want with the bunker, Alex,” Kyle said. “Especially after today… When I looked through the trapdoor and just saw your prosthetic… You’re more important to me than some old dingy room.”

“For now, I think we should cement it shut to make sure this doesn’t happen again,” Alex agreed. “But if Flint hadn’t locked me in there…” he paused. “Intentional or not, he gave both of you time needed to save me.”

“Let’s not talk about Flint, okay?” Max said as he pulled Alex into his arms.

Kyle downed his drink and climbed onto the bed with them. All three shifted closer together, enveloping each other in a warm hug.

Alex closed his eyes, trapped in a strong embrace from the two men he loved most in the World… The Universe... the two who’d _saved_ his life. It was an embrace he never wanted to leave and knew he never would.


End file.
